Typical
by rinalii
Summary: Routine was something he had grown accustomed to. He had grown bored of everything... but maybe she could change that? Akihiko Sanada x Female Protagonist.
1. Chapter 1

_Ahem, I'm not cheating on Shinji x FemC - I don't actually ship Aki x FemC. I wrote this 'cause I thought it'd be good practice for me to write out Akihiko's character. He's the most difficult one to characterise, in my case. The focus here is how shy and awkward he is around girls. (not so much in this chapter, I plan to make this multi-chaptered) I never actually got Akihiko in the lovers' path, so just be aware this isn't going to be an accurate portrayal. I hope that you Aki x FemC fans enjoy this. (despite how baad it is.) I know I should really stop writing new stories and focus on my other multi-chaptered ones, but... well... I guess I'm just easily distracted, hah. This is a lot shorter than my usual work, and I'm really sorry about that. I had to type this up in a rush: I'd say a span of 10-15 minutes. I'll try and properly proof-read this later when I have enough time._

**Disclaimer:** I own... nothing. :D

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Akihiko marched along the packed school hallway on his way to the boy's changing room. As usual, he was the last to finish today's session so he walked alone. Well... not exactly as alone as he would have liked - the fact that he was drenched in his own sweat, and that the only thing he wore was a small towel wrapped around his neck had left his toned, bare_... _and... slippery... sexy... body exposed to the hungry eyes of his horde of fangirls.

"Waaah! OH, MY, GOD! It's Akihiko-senpai! And he's... he's naked!" Fangirl no. 374928452524 swooned.

_Half-naked!_ Akihiko corrected, though not outwardly. It was useless to say anything. By the starry expression on her face, he could tell that she was too busy daydreaming a version of her own 'naked' and completely out-of-character Akihiko. Not to mention that acknowledging their existence automatically meant 'Yes! I'll go out with you!' in fangirl code.

No words were enough to describe just how much he hated the attention he got from these random girls. It was too loud. Too noisy. He loathed those judging eyes, they were always watching him as if he were some kind of million dollar prize. Making all kinds of assumptions, when in fact they didn't know the first thing about him. However, it didn't really matter how he felt about it - he was already too accustomed with the attention to even care about their advances. It just felt like another day. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual _boring_ routine.

He heard someone calling out to him amidst the sea of faces - though the tone of voice didn't hold that _annoying_ high-pitched squeal that most of his _admirers_ had. He decided to see who it was. It _could_ be Mitsuru, and he didn't want to do anything he might regret later. He didn't want to have to feel the wrath of another one of her (he mentally gulped) _executions_.

But then, Akihiko smiled genuinely and politely after seeing who it was. "Hey Kaori."

"Hello, senpai." She bowed with respect. "Uh... is there somewhere else we can talk?" She added after eyeing the large group of fangirls hoarding around them. Akihiko noted that she also looked a little scared, though he wasn't really sure why. They were just normal, albeit very annoying, girls... just like her. What could they possibly do?

"Yeah, sure." He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her with him to the school roof. It was particularly nice and windy today, leaving a cool sensation over his body. Not that he particularly minded, as his session in the gym left him rather hot and humid. He was actually okay with the breezed, refreshing feeling.

"So...?" Remembering why he was here in the first place, he looked at the brunette in front of him. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

"Uhm... I just wanted to tell you that we're not going to Tartarus tonight. Sorry, I know how much you want to train but I've got tests next week."

"Of course, I understand. You've got things you need to do!" He laughed. "Sheesh, you make it sound like I'm some kind of maniac that's obsessed with training."

"Oh, umm..." Kaori tapped her feet against the floor, red eyes downcast. Akihiko didn't really understand why she didn't laugh along with him. (Especially since he was trying to improve his socialising skills. Their coach had already given him another lecture to try and be more of a 'team player' this week.) Wasn't it supposed to be a joke? "Sorry, senpai. I wasn't trying to offend you. I didn't mean it like that."

"No, don't worry. You didn't do anything wrong. I wasn't offended." He scratched his damp silver head, feeling a little disappointed with himself for his lack of manners. Maybe he had sounded a lot more serious than he hoped. "It was supposed to be a joke!" He lamely added.

"Oooh! Ha.. haa... Right!" Kaori looked genuinely surprised, forcing a laugh. "Sorry, senpai. I guess I'm just not that good with jokes..."

Akihiko appreciated the gesture, but it was painfully obvious _who_ was wrong here. She didn't have to cover up for _his_ mistake.

"Well, okay. Stop apologising so much." He smiled kindly, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "If there's nothing else you need, then I should probably get going. I'll see you back at the dorm, alright?"

She looked away all of a sudden... her cheeks looked a little pink, too. Akihiko couldn't help but feel a little concerned. Maybe she wasn't feeling too well?

"R-right...! See you, senpai!" She ran away from him, avoiding his gaze. The silver-haired, half-naked young man was left alone to wonder if he had said something weird again.

After ignoring a few more lingering stares and swooning fangirls, Ahihiko sighed with relief as he _finally_ reached the boy's changing room. He was met by the strong musty smell of cheap men's perfume. It was still pretty crowded and quite busy, even though boxing club had already finished half an hour ago. His team mates stole a few glances in his direction, but then carried on with their normal conversation about whatever girl they were going to ask out straight after.

He shrugged with dismay, he had honestly hoped that the room would be empty by the time he got here. It wasn't that he didn't like his team - though it's not as if he had an obligation to be in their company, either. He didn't exactly consider them as... 'friends'. He merely saw them as a group of people that he had to see during practice. Sure, he exchanged pleasantries (one small nod or an occasional "Hey, how you doin'?" would do.) with them whenever he ever saw them walking around the school. However, he didn't see the club as some sort of social network like his other team members seemed to. He saw boxing as a sport, so that he could fight for himself... to avoid that powerless feeling and push away the guilt... for Miki's sake. It was something he had to do alone, and he didn't need other people to accomplish it.

"Yo, Sanada! Wanna group date?" He was taken aback by the sudden question of a fellow team member, someone he recognised in his own class.

"Nah. Sorry, I'll pass." He shrugged dismissively, completely aware that it was going to hinder with his 'try to be more of team player' action plan. He knew exactly what a group date meant, and the last thing he needed right now was more fangirls ogling over him. "I've got some training to do."

"Come on, captain!" It was a younger student this time. "Loosen up. You're only young once. Go out there and get yourself a girl!"

"It's okay, I don't really need one." He put it plainly and simply, hoping that they wouldn't try to push it further. "Thanks for offering, though." Akihiko added just to be polite.

"Ah! Well, that's too bad then. Maybe some other time, huh?" They finally said, now making their way outside of the boy's changing room.

Maybe they thought they were out of earshot, but they must have been so disappointed as Akihiko could loudly hear them talking: "Man, I know he's the captain of our team and I respect him and all... but what a wierd guy. The girls in our school are so smoking hot! Who wouldn't want them?"

"_Wierd_... huh." His fist tightened painfully. "I just don't need to be burdened with that sort of thing."

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_Don't ask me when the next chapter will be posted up, because I don't know either. :_|


	2. Chapter 2

_Tum-tadada-daa! The story 'Typical' has levelled up. -gets shot for the dorky attempt at imitating Junpei.- o.x In layman's terms - I present to you Chapter 2... Enjoy! Like the first chapter, this one is still quite Akihiko-centric; I guess it makes sense since it's going to take him quite a while to jump from not wanting (or needing) a girlfriend to developing a crush on Kaori. x) Gosh, I really hope I'm not doing too badly with characterising Akihiko. I'm sorry that this chapter is also short. x.x I seem to be having trouble with making it lengthier. D:_

_I'd like to thank **Meow Factory**, _**_Ryurieri_**_ and **xFuckTheWindx** for reviewing. :D_

**Disclaimer:** I'd have to be filthy rich (which I'm not) to own Persona 3 (which I don't). (:

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As soon as he opened the door to the shop, Akihiko smiled nostalgically when he was greeted by the appetising aroma of his most favourite dish. His smile grew wider after noticing that the place wasn't crowded like usual. There were a lot of empty seats and it was definitely quieter, more peaceful - admittedly, he liked it better that way. As someone who was usually the centre of attention, he could start getting used to finally hearing his own thoughts. After scanning the area, Akihiko spotted a familiar face sitting contemplatively on one of the stools.

"Yo." Akihiko gave a friendly smile as he quickly tapped the other person on the shoulder.

However, the boxer received no coherent response - merely a low, unenthusiastic grunt from the pea-coat wearing male.

"Hey, Sanada!" The elderly man behind the counter smiled delightfully. "It's good to see you again. What'll it be?"

"Just the usual, thanks." Akihiko politely smiled back, and grabbed a seat close to his _friend _who held a murderous look in his eye - looking ready to throw Akihiko out of the small restaurant at any given moment.

"Go to hell." Shinjiro seethed, whilst munching down a spoonful of his portion of beef bowl. "I don't have time for this shit."

Akihiko gave a meaningful shrug, wondering if Shinji was always going to be this hostile at every encounter. "Relax. I didn't come here to bother you. I'm only here to eat." Besides, he wasn't even in the mood to talk about anything SEES-related, anyway.

"Hmph." Shinjiro snorted. "You look ridiculous. Since when the hell did you sport that look?"

"... I-It's not a fashion statement!" Akihiko's silver eyes widened with embarrassment, his face then turned into seventeen shades of red after taking a quick glance at his clothes. His polo shirt and the usual blue shorts he wore during practice were an obvious mis-match. At the time, he kind of hoped it wasn't _too_ noticeable. (Not to mention he had completely forgotten about it until Shinji had brought it up.) He had ignored the fixated, quizzical glances from random by-passers and a few giggling girls on his way to the beef bowl shop - but he hadn't even considered _why_ they acted that way. He had been so used to the attention that he didn't even think anything of it.

Shamelessly, the boxing champ scratched his head. "I was in the middle of getting dressed but... I ran out of time... Don't ask why..."

Shinjiro gave an indifferent scowl. "Tch. Not like I was gonna. I could care less about your damn problems."

_Problems..._ Well, he wasn't really sure if he could call it that. It was more of a... conundrum. For the whole afternoon in the boys' changing room, Akihiko had done fifty sit-ups to relieve his frustration - wondering about what was _different_ with him. (He had spent _so_ much time pondering, that the school bell which signalled Gekkoukan High's closing time was the only thing that brought him back to earth.) Normally, he didn't let meaningless words such as 'wierd' or 'too serious' affect him. Thinking back on it now, he felt utterly foolish for allowing himself to be defeated by _words_. He should have known better. The only thing that mattered most was his goal - he _had_ to get stronger. Everyone else's thoughts and opinion of him had nothing to do with it.

However, because of his team mates' comments, there was something else that began to occupy his mind: _Loosen up. You're only young once. Go out there and get yourself a girl! _He knew it was such a useless thought, but he didn't understand why he _couldn't_ stop obsessing over it.

A harsh tap on his shoulder brought him back to his senses. "Here you go, Sanada. Eat up while it's still hot."

"A-ah... Thanks." Akihiko smiled gratefully, reaching out for his order of beef bowl.

_No, it's absolutely useless to think about it. I-I'm not missing out on anything. What would I even need a girl for, anyway? _Akihiko shook his head violently, deciding to focus his energy on something else; to talk to Shinji about an entirely different problem - something which he had been trying to ignore for the last few weeks.

"Shinji..." Akihiko began.

The beanie-wearing male shrugged heavily, obviously annoyed. "...What?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Shinjiro cocked his head to one side and made a displeased sort of noise. It wasn't supposed to be an invitation to carry on with the conversation, but Akihiko went on with his speech anyway.

"Lately, I've been feeling confused. I... used to like training. I was always looking forward to practice every morning. That's cause whenever I didn't train, I'd get bored." Akihiko sighed. "But now... I'm _always_ feeling bored - whether I'm training or not. I mean I_ still_ want to get stronger, but something feels... missing. It's as if training doesn't give me that... drive I usually get. It feels like... it's not enough to keep me satisfied anymore. Sure, my goal's important but then, every once in a while I think to myself: What am I supposed to do _after_ I reach my goal? What's going to happen after that? What should I do next?"

It was quiet for a moment - but Akihiko, ever so persistent, had held onto his eye-contact with Shinjiro... hoping he could hear something useful out of the other person.

"You wanna know what I think...?" Shinjiro asked intuitively after a while, beckoning Akihiko closer with his pointer finger.

As if he had been controlled by a remote, the boxer did as he was asked.

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"You."

"Ow!" Akihiko yelped as the back of his head had met the full force of Shinjiro's rough hand.

"...are such a goddamn idiot!"

"What was that for? !" Akihiko asked indignantly while nursing the back of his bruised head.

"I was trying to fix that thick skull of yours, you moron. What the hell even brought this on? You usually charge at whatever comes your way, like a damn fool. Quit being such a baby. If you have a problem, then face it like a man. You really think bitching about it is going to change anything?"

Akihiko raised a hand defensively. "I know that! I just don't know what I'm supposed to do about it. I've tried to ignore it, but... I..." He sighed in defeat. "What do you think I should do, Shinji?"

"Hell if I know. Just figure it out for yourself, dumbass! Do I have to spell _everything_ out for you?" Shinjiro barked, before he stood up and stormed out.

_But... how am I supposed to do that? _Sure, it was easy for Shinji to say that, but it wasn't as if he was the one who had to come up with the solution. It's like what they say: Easier said than done.


	3. Chapter 3

_I honestly hope I didn't make Aki too out-of-character in this chapter. Now, I'm not positively sure if Akihiko has anger issues, but as you read on - I hope it's understandable to the readers why I had him react the way he did._

_I'd like to thank **Ryurieri**, **Meow Factory** and **CrAzY-SiLLy-Me** for their reviews. _(:

**Disclaimer:** I don't own. D:

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Boredom and despondency had reduced Akihiko into a small lump on the damp, hard floorboard of his room. After yawning for a few moments, he sat up and crashed his head against something _hard _- the corner of his bed. He rubbed the back of his head with a frown - partly because he still hadn't fully recovered from Shinji's head chop; therefore adding onto the pain. And partly, because he wondered why he had lacked the common sense to lay on his bed instead of the cold floor.

But... he knew all along that it wasn't about comfort. He wanted a distraction just so he wouldn't be left alone with his useless thoughts. He wasn't really in the mood to train, as he had already relinquished much of his energy at practice. This was why he hated it when he had nothing better to do, and when it was too quiet.

Fortunately, a knock on the door had broken that silence.

Though for some reason, he found it _just as annoying_. Akihiko groaned, ignored it, and curled into a small ball on his floor; hoping that whoever it was would assume that he fell asleep and go away. He didn't really feel like speaking with anyone - his mood was too foul for him to be placed in a conversation with another human being.

"May I come in?"

He raised his head in alarm at recognising the voice. "Mitsuru?"

"Yes, it's me Ahihiko. I would like to speak with you for a moment."

He still stood by his statement before - he was in_ no mood_ to talk to another human being. Mitsuru may be a close friend, but she wasn't an exception. Though obviously, he had to take care of what words to say. Executions were _not_ a pleasant experience - especially if you were on the receiving end. _Maybe, _if he said he was busy studying, it wouldn't offend her and she would surely understand.

"Can it wait? Sorry, I'm kinda busy right now. I've got tests next week."

"My apologies for disturbing you, Akihiko. However, it's urgent that I speak with you right now. It won't be long."

He sighed, it was one of those moments where arguing (effortlessly or not) with Mitsuru Kirijo would be a lost cause. Speculating that the topic at hand might be about the Dark Hour, he decided to open the door and let her in.

"What's this about?" He decided to ask, careful that his tone of voice didn't hold the irritation he felt.

"Your coach came to me earlier - _"_

"What about? Have I done something?" Akihiko cut her off, and asked impatiently. Did his coach really think he was _that_ incompetent? Why hadn't he come to Akihiko and addressed the issue with him directly? Why did he have to drag_ Mitsuru_ into this?

Mitsuru averted her eyes, and held her arm in discomfort. Well, that can't be good news. "Your coach has expressed his concern of your progress in the boxing team - specifically with the way you treat your fellow team members."

"What'd he say? It can't be bad, can it?" He raised an eyebrow, pretty sure that he didn't have a problem with _anybody_ in his team.

"Akihiko, just please let me finish." Mitsuru stated calmly. "He tells me that there have been concerns about your behaviour as the team captain. Your other team members feel that they aren't getting the correct input during practice - partially because they feel as though you put your training at high priority before theirs."

Akihiko's jaw slackened in surprise. He hadn't expected to hear_ that, _especially not from his team mates. Sure, they were a bit different than him, and he didn't really think of them as his 'peer's - but he felt as though he had respected them all the same. Why hadn't they given him the same courtesy? Just what did they want from him? Shouldn't they have just told him about it? Surely, they were aware that he was no mind reader.

"If that's how they felt... then why didn't they just come and talk to me?"

"Anyway," Mitsuru continued calmly, perhaps trying her best to stay as a third-person observer and not get involved with Akihiko's personal problems. "Your coach came to a decision - he spoke with me to tell you that there is a chance you may get removed from the team - "

"What? !" Akihiko asked with indignance, and cut her off once more. Was she honestly telling him this? How can she be so... calm about it? Sure, it wasn't _her_ problem. However, it irked Akihiko to an extent that Mitsuru could just dismiss it and say all of that so easily. Besides Shinji, Mitsuru was the one person he thought he could count on if he needed it. He had complied with everything she asked from him, and had never question her requests, even if he had thought them ridiculous. He was sure that if she had been in the same situation, he would have given more of a reaction as a team mate, friend - or whatever their relationship was.

"Akihiko - please, let just me -"

His face turned pale, his mind went blank that he hadn't heard anything else after that. He just couldn't believe that this was all happening. When Mitsuru had brought up the issue of his relationship with his team mates - the worst scenario he had imagined was that he would be stripped of his position as captain of the boxing team. But to kick him off of the team... Was their coach honestly being serious? Mitsuru was never the type of person to joke about something, so this had to be serious... But he had to know -

"Why, Mitsuru? ! Why am I getting kicked off? !"

"For now, it's only a possibility. Your coach has told me that as long as he sees some change in your next sessions at pratice, then maybe..."

'For now'? 'Maybe'? No, that just wasn't good enough! Boxing, fighting... it was the only thing he had known to do. There was still the Dark Hour, but there was also a distinct difference between fighting to get stronger, and fighting for his life - he wanted a balance between the two. Didn't she understand what this meant for him? ! If they were to take that away from him, it had to be a million times worse than how he was feeling right now - almost as if he had been literally stabbed in the back by Mitsuru. She was just being... unbelievable!

"So, what did you tell him, Mitsuru? You disagreed with him, didn't you?"

Silence, and a glimmer of guilt was reflected in her eyes.

"DIDN'T YOU? !"

The slight hint of fear he sensed from her, and the fact that she wouldn't even speak or look at him had said it all. He had never felt so... betrayed.

"DAMN IT!" He angrily balled his hands into a fist, and slammed it hard onto his bedside table. Now, he understood full well why his coach hadn't come to speak with him directly. He had been too much of a _coward_.

"Akihiko... I'm sorry." Akihiko was surprised by the way she had sounded genuine. "Is... Is there anything I can do?"

He turned away from her and stated flatly. "Just close the door on your way out."

Mitsuru complied with his request, as he heard the door creaking from behind him.

After a while, Akihiko took a quick glance at his hand. _Blood - _There was a lot of it. Ironically enough, he didn't even feel any pain - at least nothing physical. He closed his eyes, trying to let his senses loose, hoping that it would at least calm him down.

_If you have a problem, then face it like a man. You really think bitching about it is going to change anything?_

"Damn it." He silently cursed under his breath once more.


End file.
